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About innov8ional

Freelance graphic designer and marketing strategy consultant; student at the Academy of Art University, in San Francisco.
A lover of the intellectual process, passionate about conceptual design, and a mind set to make the next wave in graphic design.
A man who works out too little, sleeps not enough, and dreams far too often . . . That is David Anderson. A man who debates principle on principle and considers the inconsiderate downright damaging to our world and pysche . . . That is David Anderson.
I am still discovering my aesthetic, myself, and the world in which I am living.

[TRIUMPHS IN TECH] RMS TITANIC POSTER HITS ZAZZLEBY: D.M. ANDERSON

For many of those who know me, Titanic, has been a life-long passion of mine. The elegance of the ship, the technological and engineering marvel of her design, and the promise she brought humanity. That is until a series of small careless mistakes brought it all to a close. It is a tragic story: The hopes of humanity all rested on a single ship. A ship that sank and took over 1,400 lives with it. We all know the story.

The illustration as printed.

It seems fitting, then, that Titanic make her way into my TRIUMPHS IN TECHNOLOGY poster series. Even thought she sank, Titanic will always remain a technological marvel that is ambitious even by today’s standards. She was much larger than any other ship in the world (aside her sister RMS Olympic), she utilized a unique hybrid propulsion system, featured improved building measures (higher water-tight bulkheads, double-bottom hull), and featured many first-time amenities many passengers feel commonplace aboard today’s passenger vessels.

When visiting my Zazzle store, you can choose how you best wish your copy of the poster to be produced: from size, to paper type (canvas, too!), framed or not. That is the beauty of Zazzle – you can buy the art work you love the way you want it. Please check out the product page via the link below. This would make an excellent holiday gift for any Titanic, ship, or ocean liner enthusiast.

Actually, designing identity system pose a unique challenge for me. I am constantly battling consistency vs. boring. Keeping within low-cost parameters all the while keeping it “high brow.” To make matters worse, I am designing this for myself. Unlike many designers (according to those I’ve met), I absolutely hate designing for myself. Nothing is perfect. It is all wrong. I cannot say whether or not it represents me in a manner I am pleased with, etc., etc. I can do this for someone else like a pro. Well – I am one. However, for me, I cannot just seem to make anything work . . . Or anything that satisfies me.

Below are two early concepts I developed for an identity system supporting the the new logo design. I am considering both of these pretty early and unrefined. They keep seem to be missing the mark on wowing me. And when it comes to my own identity system, if I am wowed, I believe others certainly will be. More time to be spent at the drawing board, I guess. Take a look at the pieces below and tell me what you think.

Concept One: This iteration represents one of my early ideas pulling direct inspiration from the logo design itself. It’s about simply displaying the new logo. Bright. Bold. Clean. Simple. Three business cards are here, all featuring the same back. Each design is the same layout, however boldly displays the colors founds in the logo/symbol design.

Concept Two: This iteration takes the design further taking the principles of the logo (raw, unrefined design, natural) and expresses this through the geometric wave in the bottom of the corner. This furthers the geometric expression as well as adds some kinetics to the overall design. The business cards keep with the clipping of the corner, but the back now takes on a new layout with the adaption of a gray background from the logotype, while this design features multiple backs featuring macro shots of the logo/symbol design.

Thoughts? Feedback would greatly be appreciated. More concepts soon to come.

Typeface vs. Font:Two terms all too often mixed up that make or break your credibility as a graphic designer. All too often do I see designers mix these these terms. These terms are as important as knowing the Rule of Thirds or CMYK vs. RGB. These are terms of the design industry and, like all industries, if you are to be effective within the industry, you must know your terms and know how to effectively use them.
An example of this confusion occurred the other day during a class I am taking at Butte College. The instructor of the class, who is guiding students through design basics before diving them into multimedia projects asked for students to identify the difference between the terms “typeface” and “font”. Being a designer for several years, an a typography enthusiast, I was the first to answer, eagerly wanting to prove my knowledge to the class. I answered correctly (very similar to this).

To my alarming surprise, the instructor slapped down my answer and proclaimed the right answer to be the exact opposite of the truth. Here he was, giving a group of over 30 impressionable students the wrong information with a loud sense of confidence to solidify his claims in their mindset. This is tragic. Not only is he wrong about important industry terms, but as a teacher, he is teaching future designers and artists the term with the wrong definition, thus furthering ignorance on these terms both in and out of the industry.

So, how do we counter this ignorance that is plaguing the industry? What do we do about teachers who are in fact wrong? What is the moral of the story here?To be honest, I have a few ideas but I cannot say for sure what is the best way to go about solving these problems. The big question is this: Do you know the terms? Do you have any ideas on how to turn around this confusion that is plaguing the industry?

Via Flickr:
As part of a design challenge, I was to design an entirely new logo than the one currently in use. This was to be a challenge in concept, color, and overall execution. Here are the results.

Finally, a professional website is in the works and almost near completion! This year has proven to be a fun-packed adventure in terms of moving things forward with my professional design career. Above is an instagram shot of the site as it is in development. Hosted by Behance, their ProSite service and the site production have been easy, professional looking, and quite fun.